Former student named to Coalition for Space Exploration advisory board

By: Calli Turner

Posted: 7/17/07

Damaris Sarria, Class of 2005, was named to the Coalition for Space Exploration advisory board.

The coalition's mission is to increase public awareness and understanding of space exploration's goals and benefits and to gain support in order to secure necessary resources.

Sarria was named to the "Generation Y" advisory board. "It aims to bring new insight and to help get the word across to other students and people more our age because we are the future," she said.

Sarria works for The Boeing Company at the Kennedy Space Center, where she deals with the thermal protective system for the Orbiter.

She majored in aerospace engineering and said Texas A&M has a very good engineering program which has helped her to pursue what she is currently working on. Sarria said her program tied in a lot of classes with space exploration.

Other members include Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin and academy-award winning filmmaker James Cameron.

Sarria participated in the Texas A&M Judo Team, the Hispanic Presidential Council, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Mexican American Engineers and Scientists society and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers while at A&M.

"As Aggies we are definitely supportive of President Bush's vision [ for space exploration]," Sarria said.